Now What...

My feet are securely back on the ground now, after my initial excitement and elation over my new job. The reality has started to sink in and with it comes the anxiety of "Oh my God, what have I got myself into?".

No one quits a job of seven years without a little trepidation. Last night all that I could think of is"What will happen now?", "Will I be successful at this job?" and "Will I be able to meet the challenges of the new position?"

And then, this morning when I woke up I realized that the reason I was looking for a new job is because life was just too damn predictable. My current position is very comfortable. Every day you come to work and you know just what to expect. When I look at a calendar I can tell you what I will be working on next week or after the second quarter of the fiscal and next March at the year end.

So the reality is that I'm not really sure what I will be doing next week or next month or next year... and isn't that amazing! Life just got a whole lot more interesting.

I Got the Job!

There will be many sacrificial martinis offered at the alter of the gods.

I am overjoyed!

Now, I just need to write my resignation letter.

::smile from ear to ear::

Tomorrow...

The countdown continues.

Tomorrow at 5:00 PM I will find out if I do indeed have a new job.

If I am offered a new position I can guarantee you that first thing Wednesday morning I will be submitting my resignation. I've tried hard not to go there yet. I don't want to jinx anything and I don't want to count my chickens before they've hatched but it's hard. I haven't been entirely happy here for some time and the prospect of a new challenge is like cat nip. Completely irresistible.

::sigh::

Till tomorrow then.

The Never Ending Interview...

I have been a VERY patient person of late. Do I get a gold star or what?

I recently interviewed for a new job. The first interview was cancelled due to bad weather and rescheduled for two weeks later. When I finally went to the interview it consisted of a one hour interview followed by one hour of testing and then half an hour to write a spur of the moment essay. There were 10-12 candidates

Two weeks later I was invited back for a second interview. This one was only 45 min or so and then I was given a "take home project" to complete and email in a couple of days later. I also had to fill out a consent form for them to check all of my references, do a police check and verify my education. There were only 2 candidates left.

Two weeks later I get a call "inviting me for coffee" with the CEO. I'm told this is a good thing and I am the only candidate that he is meeting with but they still have not confirmed that they are going to offer me employment. I have been reassured that it is not an interview.

I set up the appointment for coffee at our local Starbucks for, you guessed it, two weeks later. So I will meet with the CEO on April 24th and we will see if this long, very involved process is actually going to pan out for me.

The entire process has taken about two months. I have been alternating between excitement strong enough to make me vibrate and angst that I have failed to land this job, that I really, really want.

So the count down begins...only four days to my answer. Cross your fingers for me and GOD help the person who makes me jump through one more hoop before they decide if I'm the person they want for this job.

After all, there is definitely a limit to my patience...as everyone who really knows me, is very well aware of. ::evil smile::

Quotes...

Saw these quotes and just had to share:

“One only needs two tools in life: WD-40 to make things go, and duct tape to make them stop.” -G. Weilacher

“I'm tough, ambitious, and I know exactly what I want. If that makes me a bitch, okay.” - Madonna

“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe.” - Albert Einstein

“I know that you believe you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant.” - Robert McCloskey

The Big Four Ohhh...

In celebration of my 40th Birthday I have decided to take a page from Kat's book and compile a list of 40 useless things about me. Enjoy!

1. I hate yellow flowers, both cut and the garden variety. One of the first things I did when I move into my house was to eradicate them from my garden.
2. I procrastinate about just about everything until I can't look at myself in the mirror. Then I tackle the issues with too much enthusiasm and scare the living begeezes out of just about everyone around me.
3. You are guaranteed to hurt my feelings by telling me that you find me to be intimidating.
4. When I close my eyes while listening to music I actually see colours and shapes. I thought that everyone experienced music this way and only recently discovered that it wasn't "normal".
5. I love all music with two exceptions; Rap and Country.
6. When I watch TV or listen to the radio the volume control MUST be on an even number. ( I howled when I discovered that Kat shares this odd quirk.)
7. I met my husband at the bus stop on the first day of high school the year I was in grade 11.
8. I then dated a guy that turned out to be his best friend for several years.
9. I did not start dating my husband until years later after I had graduated from college.
10. I have been happily married to my hubby for 17 years and we have been together for 20 years. (half my life)
11. When I married my husband my parents took him aside and asked him if he was sure he was doing the right thing and did he realize what he was getting himself in to. They also informed him that once he married me I had officially become his problem. (No joking.)
12. I love my family. Warts and all.
13. I was a model child, an honour student and, until I was 16, thought that I would become a nun.
14. I was a difficult teenager. I guess I made up for lost time.
15. I am opinionated and direct. I appreciate people who "say what they mean and mean what they say".
16. I hate ignorant, bigoted people. I also hate people who refuse to take responsibility for their own actions or decisions. Everything, somehow, is always the fault of someone else or is a complicated conspiracy to screw them over.
17. My favourite colour is red.
18. I have two favourite numbers; 4 and 6.
19. I will turn forty on the fourth month of the fourth day.
20. I hate mornings and need to be well caffeinated before having the ability to be civil.
21. I was naive enough when I got married that I mistakenly thought that I had to fill out paperwork to "change my name". The result is a new birth certificate in my married name. I know... I really do have blond moments.
22. I love camping. As long as we are NOT sleeping on the ground. My husband affectionately refers to me as "Tent Trailer Trash". I wear the label proudly.
23. I read. A lot. It's an addiction of sorts.
24. I LOVE raspberry cosmopolitans. In fact all things martini just flat out do it for me.
25. I am a cat person. A house is not a home until a cat is in residence.
26. I am not a dog person and I tolerate them with less grace since the passing of our 18 year old Pomeranian dog, Ducky.
27. I am an army brat.
28. I have moved 17 times in 40 years.
29. I always feel better when my toenails are painted. Preferably some bright colour that I wouldn't normally have on my fingers.
30. I plan to get my first tattoo in commemoration of my 40th birthday...a martini glass of sorts.
31. I LOVE dark chocolate, especially Leonida's.
32. White chocolate is an oxymoron and as far as I'm concerned is the crappy byproduct you are left with, and should chuck out, once you extract all of the cocoa solids. (or real chocolate)
33. My role in my family is to actually vocalize what everyone else is thinking but is too afraid to say. This does not always make me very popular...but at least I'm fulfilling my role.
34. My mom is one of my most favourite people on the planet. We had a few years when I was a teenager, and thought I knew everything, when we barely spoke but have had a wonderful relationship both before and after the period that I temporarily lost my mind.
35. I have been blessed with some very special and unique friends. You know who you are and I'm not sure I could have arrived at this point in my life, this well adjusted, without all of you supporting me every step of the way.
36. I was raised Roman Catholic and after my disillusionment with them...long story...I don't have any affiliation with any organized religion. I believe in a Higher Power but I don't think anyone has Her figured out just yet.
37. I love to cook, entertain and throw parties.
38. I hate parties thrown in my honour. So, there will be no 40th birthday bash for me. Thank you very much.
39. I never thought I would be a mother but I have a wonderful 14 year old son that I am eternally grateful for each and every day.
40. My son still thinks I'm cool. How cool is that?

Happy Birthday to Me!

Aussie Invitational and Winter Blues

The Aussies came, great food, many drinks and good company were enjoyed and they left...far too soon. Kat also graced our new kitchen with her awesomeness and helped me experiment with a few new martinis. I still think some of them need to be fine tuned before they make it to our favourites list though. (Kat we have a date during March Break to tackle this project.)

I've been in a bit of a funk since Jules and Graham left us while still in the harsh clutches of winters grasp. I miss Jules a lot and having her on the other side of the planet is just hard to accept some times. I guess this trip really brought home the fact that she has moved on with her life and won't be back any time soon. (Not permanently anyway.) I guess a small part of me was still holding on to the hope that she would wake up one day soon and want to "come home". Damn, I sound like a jilted lover for goodness sake.

Jules is family and I'm glad that I got to meet the man that convinced her to rebuild her life so far from everything that was familiar to her. He's a good match for her. It's obvious that she has finally found a partner in every sense of the word. I'm happy for her...really I am...I'm just a little sad for me. I'll get over it and get on with my life as well. There just seems to be a small void where there wasn't before. Maybe that's just the Winter Blues talking. I hope so. And after all, it isn't as if she is gone from my life...we still connect on a regular basis. I know that she will always be there in a crisis and that she will always share in all of the important events in our lives. She just lives each day 16 hours before I do.

So tell me Jules, how is tomorrow looking? ::smile::

Say a little prayer...but not for me, thanks.

I've taken a long sabbatical from my blog. I needed time to focus on getting my house back together and I decided I didn't want my blog to be about my misfortunes with my home renovations. Issues continue to be ongoing but I refuse to rant about it any more. I just can't justify the outrage over something that isn't really THAT important.

Which brings me to my paradigm shift. I have a friend that seems to flow from one crisis to another. I know that some people believe in a benevolent God that only gives you challenges or misfortunes that, apparently, He feels that you can handle but...when is enough, enough. I'm not convinced, anymore, that even if there is a higher power that they care enough about the day to day minutiae of our lives to be concerned one way or the other.

I see the issues that she is dealing with every day and the new issues that come down the pike on a regular basis. I am astounded that she has not broken yet. I am amazed that she finds the heart or the energy to get up in the morning and face each day. The issues that she is dealing with are life-altering individually. Together they are overwhelming to me, who doesn't even have to grapple with them personally. I do what I can, help as she will allow and offer my support and encouragement when she asks for it but it is difficult to watch. She is struggling each and every day but I don't honestly know if I could handle any of it any better.

It's humbling and maybe that is as it should be. Maybe that is the purpose of hardship, to put things back into perspective for those of us who have lost sight of the bigger picture. For those of us who rant and rave about things that truly are not important.

So my kitchen isn't perfect...so what. No one I love died today. No one I love is suffering, starving, homeless or ill. No one I love is in an abusive relationship and feeling helpless. There are things that are worth getting upset about, there are things worthy of a rant and a rave but nothing in my life is bad enough, hard enough or bleak enough to deserve the expense of energy required for that level of indignation.

I will try to keep this in mind the next time I want to complain...because when I look at the bigger picture...I think, I really need to relearn how to count my blessings and be thankful for all of good and fulfilling things I have in my life.

And for my friend's sake...I may even relearn the art of prayer and see if I can reignite a little faith.

Merry Christmas...

Just wanted to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas. We finally managed to get our tree up and decorated and my kitchen is now fully functional. Christmas miracles do happen! It's finished just in time for me to prepare Christmas dinner for fourteen.

I haven't finished my Christmas shopping yet (actually, I've barely started) but I still have a few days to squeeze it in before a visit from these guys.

Now all we need is a light dusting of snow and our Christmas will be complete.

Merry Christmas everyone!

The Kitchen that ate my life...and my bank account.

Tomorrow is the day that I meet with Rona and the rep from NHB (the kitchen cabinet manufacturer) and work out the financials of my kitchen. I'm going in loaded for bear and hope to recoup some of the extra costs that I have had to incur because of their incompetence.

They are coming to my home tomorrow morning at 9:30 AM to do a "walk-through". I am assuming this is to ensure that I didn't install two kitchens or any extras from all of the bits and pieces that arrived and had to be sent back or exchanged or reordered. No problem. When they arrive they will find a kitchen (almost) identical to the to-scale drawings I provided them at the beginning of this fiasco. The only reason that they are not identical is because, a few of the items that were ordered incorrectly, we finally caved to, and installed anyway rather than wait another six weeks for the proper one to arrive.

Last word from my contractor was that they said they were already a few hundred dollars in the red for the items. This does not break my heart since my extra expenses are in the thousands.

In some ways I just want this to be over. Finish already and get the hell out of my house. But I don't want to give in just to have it over. They cost me money, they caused me stress, they caused an epic inconvienince and there are days, weeks, months that I will never get back.

How do you put a price on not being able to entertain, not being able to throw a birthday party for your child, not being able to accomodate a visit from family members or friends, not being able to sit anywhere in your house except your bed to eat or have a cup of coffee, not having running water or anything to prepare food for weeks. What is the price tag for all of that? (and more) I'm not sure, but I intend to try tomorrow and with any luck I can finally put all of this behind us and start living my life again.

Cross your fingers for me.

Happy Birthday!

Just wanted to wish one of my favourite people on the planet a Happy Birthday! Jules, have a great day and know that you are being held close to our hearts today.

Kitchen Renovation Update...

I have been avoiding the blog lately. The renovation of my kitchen has had me in a blue funk for so long that I decided that I didn't want to burden you with the depressing details. But, alas, progress has finally been made.

A majority of the counters have now been installed. The plumber is due today to hook up my sink and dishwasher. I will finally have running water in my kitchen once again. No more paper plates or washing dishes in the bath tub. Hooray!

The natural gas technician should be coming tomorrow to hook up my stove top and fireplace and to check out my furnace. The roof got shingled. The skylight was replaced. (Not without some drama when they realized that the one they ordered was the wrong size.)

My contractors are off this week to go deer hunting. God, don't you love it when deer hunting takes presidence over finishing a renovation? They should be back on Monday and if all goes well...the hard wood should be finished in the diningroom and hallway, the painting should be finished, the desk area will be installed, the granite counter guy will be back to finish installing the rest of the counters, the light fixtures will be put in place and I can think about moving some of my furniture back in.

And all of this has only taken...about three months. It should have taken six weeks.

The hardwood in the bedrooms will be postponed until later. We will clear and paint each room one at a time and then have the contractor come in for a day to lay the flooring. We have decided to renovate our walkin closet by installing units for storage and god help us, we have already decided to re-do both bathrooms.

We have met with Rona to discuss all of the many, many items that have gone wrong and will negotiate our final payment for all of our cabinets once the kitchen is finished. I have only begun making their lives miserable to compensate for the chaos that we have been forced to live in. I'm not sure if they fully appreciate how calm and reserved I've been to date. Cross your fingers for me and let's hope that all of the delays are now a thing of the past.

The kid will finally get his belated birthday party and if all goes well we plan to hold a house warming party in the first part of December. There will be a gathering of good friends, great food and many martinis. Finally something to really look forward to. Hope to see all of you there.

Happy Birthday...

The kid turned 14 yesterday. Words fail me. He's such an amazing kid. He was telling us at dinner last night that his school consists of people who are his friends and people he hasn't met yet. What a cool view of the world. I'm not sure if I was ever that optimistic. Every year that passes has been a new learning experience that has enriched our lives in countless ways and for the first time ever...I almost wish that we had decided to have more children.

Happy Birthday!

________________________________________________________________

One of my best friends also celebrates her birthday on Oct 17th. The good news is that even with my spotty memory...I will probably never forget her birthday. My thanks to her for being a part of our family's lives.

Happy Birthday to you too babe!

Kitchen Update...

My kitchen has been delayed for...wait for it...six weeks. The cupboards were incorrect sizes, styles or just plain missing from the order. We have reordered all of the missing / wrong items and it will be a minimum of 4 to 6 weeks to get the right cupboards.

My old kitchen is half out and the new one is about a third in. Neither one of them functions to any degree. The hardwood can't be laid until the old kitchen is completely ripped out. The new kitchen has no counters or sink or running water or oven or stove. So the old one can't come out until the new one functions. So, no hardwood can be laid, the granite counters can't go in until the cupboards are installed. Are you getting the picture?

In the mean time I have two burners on my stove and a coffee maker. Oh, and let's not forget the BBQ. I have no furniture in the first floor of my house except for beds to sleep in. I am storing 60 cases of hardwood and all of my new appliances, which can't be installed, in my basement. The ceiling in my rec room in the basement has been ripped out to accommodate the plumbing and electrical. Which can't be fixed until the sink and dishwasher are installed and functioning. So the basement is also space that is inhabitable. My frustration level and stress levels are in the stratosphere.

So, if you care for me at all...please don't ask how my renovation is going.

Thanks.

Mantra...

Say it with me now...

"I will never renovate the space I live in again."

"I will never renovate the space I live in again."

" I will never @#$%#&% renovate the space I live in again."


If ever, at some point in the future, I decide that it is a good idea to renovate...please, someone for goodness sake, hit me in the head with a two by four and remind me of the torturous misery I am now enduring.

Nuff said.

Yummy...

Put a little magic in your glass.


Abra Cadabra

2 oz. Vodka
½ oz. Peach schnapps
½ oz. Apricot brandy
1 oz. Pineapple juice

Combine ingredients in mixing glass. Add ice, shake to chill and strain into your glass. Garnish with pineapple or peach.

Quick Updates...

My reno is finally starting to look like something. They laid the tile in my kitchen yesterday and will grout it today. I have ceilings and paint has been applied to some walls. The kitchen cupboards will go in once the grout is dry. The granite guy should be by late in the week for final measurements and my counters should go in next week. The appliances will be delivered a week today and the hardwood should go in by mid-week next week. So, apart from the five pounds of drywall dust that I ingest on a daily basis and the fact that for the past two and a half weeks it appeared that a bomb had gone off in my house, things are looking up. ::grin::

__________________________________________________________


Other news: The kid made the cut for his high school soccer team. He is one of only two grade nine students to make the team. There were thirty-five kids that tried out over a period of five days. They only took eighteen. Suffice it to say that his mother is proud.

His first game is today at one of the other local high schools. His coach demands that they all wear a dress shirt and tie on game day. Seeing him dressed up this morning was the highlight of my day. But it revealed the fact that both my son and I need to learn to tie a necktie properly. Hubby is working midnights so was unable to bail us out. Thank goodness for his friend down the street who is an Air Cadet. It wasn't pretty but it was better than tying it around his head as a head band. ::hhmmmm:: I better not mention that to the kid...knowing him, he would take great pleasure in wearing it that way just to the see the kind of reaction he might get. After all, he will say, the coach only said he needed to wear one, not where he had to wear one. Anyone want to take bets on how long it takes him to figure out this slant? And lets not forget, no one said that he had to wear pants. What would we do for entertainment if he weren't here?

Choices Have Consequences...

"I believe that we are solely responsible for our choices, and we have to accept the consequences of every deed, word, and thought throughout our lifetime".

- Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Every day, every one of us makes choices.

How we live our lives, where we live our lives, who we share our lives with and how we support ourselves. Big decisions. What to eat for lunch, whether to return a call, how we spend our free time or what to wear to our next meeting. Small decisions.

Every choice has consequences. Some effect us and some effect others. Do we always make the right choice? Hell, no. Do we always weigh all of the mitigating factors when we make a choice? Of course not, we're human.

We make choices and, right or wrong, we need to live with the consequences.

"Actions have consequences...first rule of life. And the second rule is this - you are the only one responsible for your own actions".

- Holly Lisle, Fire In the Mist, 1992

Every choice is influenced by many factors. Obligations, responsibilities, love, lust, joy, hate, sorrow, fear, grief, depression, money. Every decision a person makes has a massive number of effects on our lives and the lives of many others. Do we please ourselves or do we please others? Can we please both? Certainly, we can't please everyone.

I think the simplest choices are the ones we make based on our own wants and needs. The selfish decisions. But once you start including the influences of the other factors like the wants and needs of children, spouses, family, friends, employers and financial obligations and all of the multitude of other "things" that in today's society we are bombarded with, then decisions become anything but simple.

Is a choice that benefits us and hurts others a right choice? Is a choice that benefits others and hurts us a wrong choice? Are the right choices only the ones that do no harm? Are there really any choices that do NO harm?

Some choices have immediate results and some decisions we only come to regret or applaud after months or years. So when do we decide that it is the time to judge a decision? Who decides what the right choice is? Or the wrong choice is? Who will be the judge? The answer,in all honesty, is probably everyone whether you want them to or not and, they do so, ALL of the time.

"It is well, when judging a friend, to remember that he is judging you with the same godlike and superior impartiality".

- Arnold Bennett

Who among us is really fit to judge the validity of another's choice? WE don't have to live with the results of those choices. The truth, in my opinion, is that the only one qualified to judge the choices we make is, in fact, ourselves. The person making the choice is the only one who knows all of the factors that were considered (or discounted) while making the choice. We are the ones that must live with the consequences of our decisions. We are the ones that must look into the mirror each morning and ask ourselves "Can I live with the choices that I have made?".

On the surface, a woman deciding to leave an abusive husband may seem like a no- brainer. But, if leaving him causes a great deal of hardship for her children, then the decision is less clear cut. She needs to weigh the benefits of the decision against the burden of bearing the consequences. After all, what harm is she already doing to her children by staying and allowing him to continue to abuse her? Her choice may simply be the choice of the lesser evil.

Consider the mother that continues to support her child well into their forties. Said child has never held down a job to support themselves, has proven time and time again that they will steal and lie and endanger the lives of innocents by driving drunk. Do we feel sorry for her child, who may have to spend time in prison? "No, of course not" we say. "He must hopefully learn that when you break the law and make bad choices that there is a price to pay". "You choose poorly and you earn the punishment". His choice. His consequence.

And what about the mother? She is financially destitute and has had untold hardships caused by this wayward child. She breaks no laws and only loves her child despite their actions. When she complains about the hardships in her life that she must endure and asks for sympathy, financial support and emotional support. Do we provide it? Or, like the child (child?) she protects do we harden our hearts and say "you must realize the consequences of your actions". She chose to allow him into her home to rob her blind. She chose not to press charges when he stole her car and wrote it off. The hardships that she is enduring are a direct result of the choices that she has made. Is her choice any better than his? Are his choices a result of hers? Do either of them have a right to complain about the results of their choices?

Finally, consider the woman who has sacrificed her dreams for a financially secure home for her children. She has a job that pays her bills. She lives in a decent neighborhood. She takes her children to soccer practice. She encourages her children to pursue their dreams and supports them to achieve them. She still dreams, but with each year that passes the fulfillment of her own dreams becomes less likely. Is her choice more noble than any of the others? Does SHE have the right to complain and rage against the injustice of the world or do we likewise say to her "you are responsible for your own choices". "You must bear the consequences of those decisions". At some point she must have made the conscience decision that the sacrifice of her dreams was a worthwhile price to pay for a secure future for her children. Her choice. Not your choice or my choice. Her choice. Is it the right choice? Maybe, for her, it is.

Even if our choices cause us to endure hardships, the benefits of those choices may very well be worth the hardships, to the one making the decision. We don't need to understand it. We just need to respect it.

"Honor isn't about making the right choices. It's about dealing with the consequences".

- Midori Koto

In my opinion, if a person bears the burden of their choices with dignity and grace, then they are deserving of our respect and admiration. No matter what choices they have made. If we choose to judge them in any manner, then they shouldn't be judged for the validity of their choice but for their ability to live with the results.

All that any of us can hope for is the freedom to make our own choices, the wisdom to learn from our experiences and for people in our lives, who love us enough, to respect our decisions.

"I am blessed with the freedom to make my own choices. I understand that it is my responsibility to bear the consequences of those decisions. And I respect that you, have the right to refuse to listen to, or sympathize with, any complaints I may have about the results of those decisions".

- Martini Goddess

Canada and the Cost of Education...

Tomorrow the kid has orientation at the High School he will be attending in less than a week. (God, how time flies.) He will get his semester schedule and have time to locate his classrooms so that the first day will be a little less stressful. It would be nice if they could figure out a way to make it less stressful for the parents.

They have informed us that we may purchase text books, gym uniforms, a lock, safety goggles etc. and pay lab fees for the year on this day. But it is strictly cash only. From what I have heard from other parents this will amount to approximately $200.00. God help parents will more than one child. This doesn't include the binders, pens, paper, calculator etc. he will require or the new sneakers and clothes he will need. (He seems to be growing every five minutes. Thirteen and already close to five foot eight...it astounds me.)

How do some families manage with these cost? I guess we are fortunate to be able to pay them without too much thought or financial discomfort but I'm sure that this isn't the case with a lot of local families. I don't remember it being anywhere near this expensive when I attended. (Alright, twenty years ago, IS a long time...but still!)

My coworker has a child going into Grade Four and she was saying that the school now sends home a list of the items that each child will require. The list was extensive and included things like "their own box of Kleenex"?!. I kid you not. It cost her almost $75.00 for school supplies for Grade Four!

Where have all our tax dollars gone? Public education is suppose to be accessible for all. But it seems that even that has started to become difficult for lower income families. It seems to me that the education of our children should be a bigger priority. The only way that schools are managing on their current budgets is by passing along costs to families and then making up the difference by fund raising.

All of the schools are on the fund raising band wagon. It seems that every week papers come home trying to get your child to sell some thing. I resent having the schools push my child into becoming a salesman and harassing our extended family and friends for money because you can be damn certain that I won't allow him to go door to door canvassing. It's just not safe to do so anymore. So you hit your family up for the cash by selling chocolate bars, cookie dough, calendars, raffle tickets and magazines and then they in turn do the same to you for their children. So at the end of the day...the parents are still paying these fees.

It concerns me that this is what we have become. But then again...maybe I shouldn't be so surprised. I work in a non-profit in the social services sector and we have been "doing more with less" for years. We are chronically short of cash and these are some of the most vulnerable individuals in society.

So I guess my question remains; Where have all the tax dollars gone and what is more important than education and supports for the disabled? Don't get me started on health care or the elderly...that's a subject for a rant on a different day.

I guess I'm just a little disappointed and disillusioned with my school board, province and country at the moment.

Canada,a great place to live...if you can afford to.

Home Again, Home Again...Where did I put that Axe?

Well, we have arrived home safe and sound after two weeks camping. (One week without children...lovely.) The weather was wonderful, scenery was beautiful and after the first two or three days all of the stress simply left me.

Unfortunately, upon returning home I have now decided to commit fratricide. My contractor, who also happens to be said brother, was suppose to start my renovation while we were away. They had two weeks to rip out a wall and carpeting etc. and we wouldn't be there to complain about the mess. Guess what? He hasn't been yet. I am so angry that I could spit bullets.

He is curiously absent, has not returned phone calls and once I cornered our mother I found out that he is currently "back at the hunting camp four wheeling" with my other brother. Still don't know why he's MIA but there are at least a dozen people now who don't want to be anywhere in the general vicinity when I do manage to catch up with him.

This reno was suppose to start in May, then June, then July, then right after he got back from vacation the second week in August. It should have been finished by the end of August. Now I have doubts that it will be finished by Thanksgiving. I have 18 people coming for thanksgiving dinner...guess I'll just send them all to my brothers house. Now isn't that a great idea!

Note to self...do not renovate. If you don't like where you live...move.

I need a martini or better yet, a pitcher of martinis!!!

Some how I don't think it will help but I'm sure that my brother will need a few after I get through with him.